Share
20th October 2018
04:59pm BST
Heartbreakingly though, it’s sometimes the case that women have an infection that has harmed their fertility but they don’t find out until they try for a baby.
“Quite often there are no symptoms. People don’t know they have them,” Dr Henchion continues. “That would be the case especially with women more so than in men. “The only way to know is to get checked. “It’s a very simple test. In most cases now, we can send the girl to do her own test. "She goes off to the bathroom with a little kit and takes a self-taken low vaginal swab and that is very accurate for chlamydia and gonorrhoea.”Of course, finding out that you have an STI isn’t the end of the world and doesn’t have to spell infertility. Both chlamydia and gonorrhoea are fairly easy to treat. “With chlamydia it’s just a week with an oral antibiotic; with gonorrhoea you do have to get an injection and an oral antibiotic but it’s still very successful and you’re now preventing something that would have gone on to cause you problems later (with fertility).”
Still, our sexual practices do play a role.
“I think sometimes even though people may know a lot in one sense, they might have a lot of misinformation,” Dr Henchion says.
“I mean, a lot of people don’t realise that oral sex can pass STIs.
“They will have oral sex as a way of not getting pregnant and not getting infections and are then quite shocked to find that actually you can get infections that way.”
This October is Fertility Month on Her, when we’ll be talking all things reproductive health and having babies.
You can check out all of our Fertility Month articles here.
Want to get in touch? Email me at anna@her.ie.Explore more on these topics:
Top Story
The perfect gifts for the fitness guru in your life This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it. If you’re still in the middle of your Christmas shopping, then Gym Plus Coffee is one place you need to check out, especially if you have a fitness-obsessed friend […]
3 days ago
The perfect gifts for the fitness guru in your life This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it. If you’re still in the middle of your Christmas shopping, then Gym Plus Coffee is one place you need to check out, especially if you have a fitness-obsessed friend […]
Health
3 days ago
‘It’s exceeded my expectations’ This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it. A ‘fantastic’ treadmill for at-home workouts has been given a huge, limited time discount. During the winter months you might not be as excited about getting outside for a walk or run anymore, well this […]
Health
1 week ago
The national rate of caesarean sections is at a record level A new HSE report has confirmed a stark rise in the number of women having caesarean sections in Ireland. The HSE confirmed the figure has increased from 29.6% of all women in 2014 to 40.6% in 2024. The Irish Maternity Indicator System report analyses […]
Health
2 weeks ago
Is the Peloton worth the hype? This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission on any sales generated from it. We want to make sure we don’t miss a bargain throughout Black Friday. We’re buying everything from the perfect travel bag and Christmas sweets to serums from our favourite skincare brands. However, there’s […]
Health
2 weeks ago
Blackrock Health Women’s Health Centre has officially opened Blackrock Health, a cornerstone of Irish healthcare for over 40 years, has opened the Blackrock Health Women’s Health Centre. This state-of-the-art facility, backed by a previously announced €16 million investment, is now open at 2-5 Warrington Place, Dublin 2, marking a pivotal moment in delivering truly holistic […]
Health
3 weeks ago
The HSE believes this step will help reach the goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040. The Government has confirmed plans to roll out at-home smear tests from 2026. The HSE believes the rollout will increase the uptake in cervical checks and will help achieve the goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2040. A home […]
Health
3 weeks ago
Expert reveals the benefits of period sex and you may be surprised
Health
1 month ago
